Digital reflective practice among new graduate nurses - A scoping review

To scope the literature exploring the use of digital reflective practice for the professional development and wellbeing of new graduate registered nurses.

There is a growing interest in the integration of digital technologies in nursing education and practice. Digital technology encompasses electronic tools, devices, systems, and resources used by organisations for data processing, storage, monitoring, and information dissemination. Digital reflective practice has the potential to improve new graduate registered nurse well-being and professional development through real-time feedback, personalised learning experiences, and collaborative reflection opportunities.

A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the methodology outlined by Peters et al. (2020). The CINAHL, PubMed, Medline and PsychINFO databases were searched. Reference lists of included articles were hand searched to identify additional articles. A google scholar search was also conducted.

Database searches between 2008 and March 2024 yielded 29 articles. Six duplicates were removed. The studies were screened in title and abstract with 10 studies excluded for not meeting eligibility criteria. A further six were excluded following full text review with the five remaining studies included in the review. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used to appraise articles. Data was extracted in a table and analysed thematically.

Five studies were identified from four countries using a mix of quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The digital platforms used included video recording, instant messaging, digital journals, and WhatsApp groups. The digital platforms were heterogenous in duration and locations.

Digital reflective practice appears to support knowledge sharing and the overall wellbeing of new graduate nurses. Digital reflective practice can contribute to a community of practice that offers opportunities for collaborative learning and shared experiences. However, a paucity of research exists concerning how digital reflective practice affects new graduate registered nurse's professional development and well-being. Further, there is not a specific tool that supports digital reflective practice for new graduates. The development and use of digital reflective practice tools for new graduate nurses needs investment and research.